Wenger: Joe Cole an interesting target

Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger has described Chelsea midfielder Joe Cole as an “interesting target” as the Gunners prepare for life without Cesc Fabregas.

Published

19 May 2010

With his talismanic Spaniard set to depart for Barcelona this summer, Wenger will be keen to add to his midfield to cover for the loss of the 23-year-old.

And the Arsenal manager recently admitted that Chelsea’s Joe Cole could be a possibility with the midfielder’s deal at Stamford Bridge expiring and no new contract yet inked.

"Joe Cole is an interesting target, but do I have enough players in those positions? We shall see,” Wenger said.

"First of all I must say that no matter how much money you spend to find a Patrick Vieira [it is hard to do]. Since I am in England, I hear 'this is the new Patrick Vieira' when a guy is tall and strong.

"But I believe strongly that our midfield are developing very well with [Alex] Song, [Abou] Diaby and Denilson because they are young, very young, but different to Vieira.

"I believe in them because if you compare them two years ago and this year they are tremendously improved."

Cole has endured a difficult season with the Blues, starting just 11 matches since returning from cruciate knee ligament damage.

With the 29-year-old yet to agree a new deal with Carlo Ancelotti's side, his future looks set to lie away from Stamford Bridge, with both Manchester United and former club West Ham having been previously linked with a move for the star this summer.

The Gunners' boss Wenger has previously insisted that his main issues lie elsewhere, saying: "I believe the midfield was not a problem this year because we created so many chances from midfield and we dominated nearly all the games in midfield.

"I don't think we had a big problem in there. I believe we had a problem of efficiency defensively."

But with Fabregas looking almost certain to move on to the Nou Camp, the Arsenal manager may well turn his attentions to a potential replacement in the coming months.